Lentils add a hearty texture and an earthy flavor to an otherwise simple, pantry-inspired pasta dish.
Winter cooking lends itself to making good use of winter pantry staples, like lentils and canned tomatoes, along with those odds and ends that we don’t always have a plan for in the refrigerator, I’m talking about you lone carrot in the crisper. Uncork the red wine (…and save some for the dish), grab an onion, a few cloves of garlic, and you’ll have a hot and spicy fire-roasted lentil bolognese to warm your soul on a cold winter’s night.
This is an easy sauce to make in advance, or to customize with a little bit of what’s on hand. In this photo, I used a mushroom wheat-germ tagliatelle from Italy. Although I’ve also made this with traditional pasta as well as quinoa pasta, though you do lose that coveted liquid gold (pasta water!) when you use a gluten-free pasta – just keep that in mind.
However you customize this dish, the lentils are nourishing and comforting during these cold winter months; and if you like big flavor, the spicy heat that clings to the pasta noodles won’t disappoint.
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 cups finely chopped mushrooms
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup dry red wine recommended: bordeaux
- 3 cups vegetable broth, plus more on hand if needed
- 1 tbsp mixed dry Italian herbs recommended: oregano, basil, thyme
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 28 oz canned fire-roasted tomatoes, with juices
- 1 ½ cups petite black lentils
- 1 lb pasta
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, as garnish
Instructions
- In a large 5-1/2 quart saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot and shimmery, add the onions, mushrooms, and carrots. Lightly season with salt. Saute until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Move the chopped vegetables to the sides to expose the center "hot spot" of the pan and add the tomato paste. Allow the paste to sit for 2-3 minutes to caramelize. Stir to mix with the chopped vegetables.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat to add the red wine. Return to a medium heat and deglaze the pan by scraping up any brown bits that may have accumulated on the bottom of the pan, be sure to mix it in there's lots of flavor there! Add the broth, the dry Italian seasonings, paprika, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the diced tomatoes (along with the juices) and stir to mix, bring the contents to a boil. Add the lentils, stir gently and let them briefly boil, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30-40 minutes or until tender. Note: the lentils will absorb most of the liquid during cooking, the lentils should be tender with a subtle bite when done, be mindful not to overcook.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt and add the pasta of your choice. Cook according to the package directions until about 1-minute shy of al dente, tender but firm to the bite. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining, then drain well.* Add the slightly undercooked pasta to the saute pan, along with ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water, and continue to finish cooking the pasta in the lentil mixture, 1 minute longer. Add more pasta water, about ¼ a cup at a time, if necessary.
- The final consistency should be loose, with plenty of movement, but not soupy. The pasta will continue to absorb as it sits, so keep any leftover reserved pasta water on hand to loosen as desired.
- Serve in pasta bowls, generously garnished with grated cheese and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.
Notes
© chasingtheseasons. All images & content are copyright and trademark protected. Please do not use my photography without prior written permission. If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or kindly link back to this post for the recipe.
